Register Now for Bench-Barand Save with 2007 Prices

Association members have until Friday, Sept. 18 to take advantage of the early bird discount for the Bench-Bar and Annual Conference Oct. 23-24 at Harrah's Atlantic City. Conference prices have been rolled back to 2007 levels. Full-conference admission is $349 for members and $399 for non-members. For members of the Young Lawyers Division and government and public interest attorneys, admission is only $199. Visit PhilaBenchBar.org for a complete registration form and pricing guide...READ MORE

Dialogue on Diversity Sept. 22

The Philadelphia Bar Association will host the summit "Our Dialogue on Diversity" which will review the real-life struggles and successes of diverse Philadelphia lawyers from the past and present, with a major focus on the future. This two-hour summit, designed as a luncheon program, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 12 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center at the Wanamaker Building...READ MORE

Register Now for Bench-Bar, Save with 2007 Prices

Association members have until Friday, Sept. 18 to take advantage of the early bird discount for the Bench-Bar and Annual Conference Oct. 23-24 at Harrah's Atlantic City.

Conference prices have been rolled back to 2007 levels. Full-conference admission is $349 for members and $399 for non-members. For members of the Young Lawyers Division and government and public interest attorneys, admission is only $199. Visit PhilaBenchBar.org for a complete registration form and pricing guide.

The 2009 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference will open with the October Quarterly Meeting. A total of 13 CLE seminars and 5 CLE credits are available at the conference. Seminars are being presented by the Family Law Section, Young Lawyers Division, Business Litigation Committee, Workers' Compensation Section, Criminal Justice Section, State Civil Litigation Section, Law Practice Management Division, Professional Responsibility Committee, Bar-News Media Committee, Business Law Section, Public Interest Section and Probate and Trust Section.

The conference also includes a state of the court address with the president judges of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia courts.

One of the highlights of any Bench-Bar Conference is the Grand Reception, and this year is no exception. This year, the Grand Reception will be held at The Pool at Harrah's, one of the hottest nightspots in Atlantic City.

Saturday morning's programming gets off to a talkative start with a sports-talk program with Sports Radio 610-WIP's Anthony Gargano. Gargano has hosted 610's highly rated midday show (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) for the past seven years. A former sportswriter for the New York Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer specializing in national in-depth features and profiles, Gargano has also written two books, The Great Philadelphia Fan Book and A Sunday Pilgrimage. He contributes to several magazines, was named in the 2000 Great Sportwriters Book, and can be seen mornings on Fox 29's "Good Day Philadelphia."

Discounted hotel room rates are also available for conference attendees. To receive the special room rate, hotel reservations must be made no later than Thursday, Oct. 1 by calling Harrah's directly at 609-441-5776.

Be sure to mention "Philadelphia Bar Association/2009 Bench Bar Conference" group code GHPBA9 to take advantage of the special rates of $209 in the new Waterfront Tower or $144 in the Harbor Tower on Friday, Oct. 23. Special rates are also available for Thursday and Saturday nights. Rates do not include taxes. Sponsors for the 2009 Bench-Bar and Annual Conference include USI Affinity, Juristaff, Summit Pharmacy, American Lawsuit Funding, Iron Mountain, JAMS and Alliance Medical Legal Consulting.

Lessons Learned from Starting a Small Firm Aug. 4

The Solo and Small Firm Committee and the Marketing Committee of the Law Practice Management Division will present "Lessons Learned from Starting a Small Firm" on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Panelists include Sheryl L. Axelrod, The Axelrod Firm, LLC; Harper J. Dimmerman, The Law Office of Harper J. Dimmerman P.C.; and Joseph A. Prim, Duca and Prim, LLP. The speakers will engage in roundtable discussion, with an emphasis upon sharing meaningful lessons in their own practices. The subjects will range from entity formation to cost-cutting to marketing.

The meeting begins at 12 p.m. in the 11th Floor Conference Center of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8 for those members who register in advance. Click here to RSVP.

Board OKs Resolution on Athletic Disclosure

The Board of Governors has approved a resolution that supports amending the Pennsylvania Public School Code, requiring Pennsylvania secondary schools to publicly disclose information about student athletic participation by gender, race, and ethnicity as described in Senate Bill 890.

Senate Bill 890 also calls for schools to disclose information about athletic facilities, equipment, coaching, and athletic expenditures by gender. Pennsylvania high schools currently have no obligation to report how many girls or young women participate in varsity athletics or the resources they devote to their girls' varsity athletic teams. The resolution also refers to the Association's long-standing history of support for equal treatment under the law for all citizens of the Commonwealth; and, specifically, of support for equal rights for women or girls.

The measure was approved at the Board's July 28 meeting.

Truancy System Discussion Aug. 26

Frank Pombar and Delia Reveron of the School District of Philadelphia will discuss Philadelphia's truancy system at the Wednesday, Aug. 26 meeting of the Legal Rights of Children Committee.

This session will provide insight into how the current system works while providing an opportunity to discuss this pervasive problem with the people charged with doing something about it. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. in 10th Floor Board Room, of Bar Association headquarters, 1101 Market St. Lunch is available for $8 for those members who register in advance. Click here to RSVP.

Volunteers Needed for Get Help Now PA!

At the direction of Gov. Edward G. Rendell and first lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, the Philadelphia Bar Association has agreed to help launch "Get Help Now Pennsylvania!" part of President and Michelle Obama's "United We Serve" national service initiative.

The initiative encourages Americans to create meaningful change in their communities by engaging in service. The Philadelphia Bar Association is working in conjunction with its Young Lawyers Division, Lawyers in Transition initiative, the Philadelphia Legal Secretaries Association and Philadelphia Association of Paralegals to bring Get Help Now Pennsylvania! to Philadelphia.

Through Friday, Sept. 11 (from 1 to 6 p.m.), President and Mrs. Obama are asking legal professionals and bankers to staff offices around the state to help direct individuals with legal or financial issues to agencies that can provide help. Here in Philadelphia, the office will be located at the Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law. As Philadelphia is the state's largest city, volunteers are greatly needed. The session are held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Get Help Now Pennsylvania is a collaborative effort of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers, the Mortgage Bankers Association of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Pennsylvania Financial Services Association, the Office of the First Lady and Pennsylvania Department of Banking.

For questions or to volunteer, please contact Brian Sims, staff counsel for policy and planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association at bsims@philabar.org or call (215) 238-6353.

Bar Foundation Seeks Award Nominees

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation is seeking nominations for two awards to be presented at the Andrew Hamilton Benefit on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Please Touch Museum.

The Citizens Bank Pro Bono Award is presented by Citizens Bank, the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, and is given annually to a Philadelphia law firm or corporate legal department demonstrating outstanding volunteer efforts to help provide legal services to those in need. The recipient of the Citizens Bank Award designates the $10,000 monetary award to one or more Philadelphia Bar Foundation grantees.

The Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award is given to an attorney who is working in the nonprofit legal services community. A $2,500 award will be presented each year to an attorney who is providing direct legal services to the poor and the underprivileged in Philadelphia.

Dialogue on Diversity Sept. 22

The Philadelphia Bar Association will host the summit "Our Dialogue on Diversity" which will review the real-life struggles and successes of diverse Philadelphia lawyers from the past and present, with a major focus on the future.

This two-hour summit, designed as a luncheon program, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 12 p.m. at The CLE Conference Center at the Wanamaker Building.

Topics will include recruiting and retaining diverse individuals, building diverse leadership at the Bar Association and law firm management, the impact of the economy on diversity, and implementing the Statement of Diversity Principles resolution.

The court's telephone numbers and the Philadelphia filing office address will not change.

Please make a note of this address change. Filings should be directed to the court's new address effective Monday, Aug. 3. For more information, contact the Chief Clerk's Office at (717) 255-1650 or visit the court's web site at aopc.org.

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Global Financial Crisis 2009: Preparing for the Future

Our stellar faculty of in-house counsel, compliance officers, regulators, and private practitioners will share their insights and expertise so that you and your clients and companies can proactively handle any developments resulting from the global financial crisis. This 5 substantive, 1 ethics CLE credit hour program will simulcast Wednesday, Aug. 5 at The CLE Conference Center on the 10th floor of the Wanamaker Building, Juniper Street entrance (between 13th and Broad streets, opposite City Hall), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. For additional information, or to register, click here.

Upcoming CLE

The following courses are cosponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. All courses are at The CLE Conference Center in the Wanamaker Building, except as otherwise noted. Registration begins 30 minutes before course start time.

Earn as many as 4 credits on your computer, at your convenience at PBI's Online Campus, at www.onlinecle.pbi.org. More than 300 classes are available, including nearly 50 one-hour ethics programs. 24/7 CLE. You have received this message because you are listed with the Philadelphia Bar Association as a subscriber to the Bar Reporter Online. This message may contain commercial content. If you wish to add, modify or delete a Bar Reporter Online subscription, either send an e-mail to philadelphiabar@philabar.org, or go to listserve.philabar.org/mailman/listinfo/bro
Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market St., 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-238-6300.